CHARLOTTE – Jeff Van Gundy touched Knicks video coordinator Matt Harding, a big Yankee fan, for good luck before last night’s game against the Hornets. It’s safe to say the Knicks are more in awe of the Miracle Yankees than they are of Michael Jordan.

Van Gundy, long an admirer of Joe Torre, said: “Their belief is so strong they know they’re going to win. I have great respect for them, not jealousy. To do that two nights in a row is incredible.”

Against the Bulls at United Center tonight, the Knicks face two players they tried to acquire in the offseason to beef up their front line, according to insiders – center Brad Miller and old friend Charles Oakley.

The Knicks called the Raptors when they dangled Oak, but the club had absolutely nothing that interested Toronto GM Glen Grunwald.

Knicks GM Scott Layden has long been hot for Miller, starting in the summer of 2000 when he was a free agent. Last June, when the Bulls still had not picked up the 7-foot Miller’s option, Layden and Bulls GM Jerry Krause had substantive trade talks, with Charlie Ward being dangled, but they could never work anything out. Miller scored 24 points in the season opener.

Regarding Oakley playing for the baby Bulls, Houston said, “It shows a lot for Oakley’s character. At this point he’s playing because he still loves to play and teach a lot of those younger guys. I feel for him because he wanted to be on a winner.”

It was a rare scene.

When the locker room doors opened to reporters yesterday before the morning shoot-around following a meeting with Van Gundy, the players were in hysterics, with even the coach giggling. Usually at that hour, the players look comatose, but VG had cracked them up with his pep talk.